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26-922 Prepare for 2026 Provider Access Surveys
Effective date
Aug 1, 2026
Identified
Aug 1, 2026
Summary
Health Net California will conduct provider access surveys from August–December 2026 to assess appointment availability, after-hours access, and phone access. Participation is mandatory under California law and provider contracts. Failure to respond within 5 business days or meet access standards will result in claim payment delays, directory removal, and network participation impacts.
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What to do
Action · 10 steps
01Before August 2026.
02Front desk and operations staff must verify that appointment availability, after-hours access, and phone access standards are being met and document compliance.
03Test all office phone systems and after-hours messaging to confirm instructions are accurate and functional—escalate any failures immediately.
04Billing and administrative staff must ensure provider directory information and contact details (email, fax) are current in the Health Net system to ensure survey invitations are received.
05Establish a tracking process: When survey invitations arrive from QMetrics (Appointment Availability Survey) or Sutherland (After-Hours Access Survey), assign responsibility for response within 5 business days.
06Failure to respond triggers mandatory phone surveys and potential claim payment delays.
07Investigate Qualified Advanced Access Provider Program eligibility for your PCPs if same-day scheduling is available—qualifying providers are exempt from surveys for 3 annual cycles.
08Contact DMHC Access (dmhc.access@managed.healthnet.com) for eligibility details.
09Billing team: Flag this policy internally and establish a reminder system for August 2026 launch.
10Non-compliance consequences include claim payment delays, removal from provider directory, corrective action plans, and loss of network participation.
Original notice
26-922 Prepare for 2026 Provider Access Surveys
providerlibrary.healthnetcalifornia.com · Always check the source before changing claims.
Related changes
See all Health Net changes →26-924 Prepare for 2026 Provider Access SurveysHighEffective Aug 1, 2026 · Prior Authorization26-923 Prepare for 2026 Provider Access SurveysHighEffective Aug 1, 2026 · Prior Authorization20-535 Get Ready for the 2020 Provider Appointment Availability and After-Hours Access SurveysMediumEffective Aug 1, 2020 · Provider News20-534 Get Ready for the 2020 Provider Appointment Availability and After-Hours Access SurveysMediumEffective Aug 1, 2020 · Provider NewsBrowse every Health Net change in the policy list